Dani's Corner

Dani Spies is a Health & Food Coach and Fitness Trainer who enjoys finding simple and d'lishes ways to incorporate nutritious ingredients into an everyday kitchen.More »

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Fruit and Flax Smoothie

For those of you that receive my newsletter, this Fruit and Flax Smoothie is old news.  This is the smoothie that was the featured this June as the recipe of the month. (what can I say, I've been a busy girl... notice there were no new videos this month??  Let's just say I've fallen a little behind schedule, but I promise... they will be back;)).

Smoothies are one of the simplest and most nutritious meals/snacks you can make and as far as flavors go, well, the possibilities are endless.

I very rarely find myself making the same smoothie twice. I usually just grab whatever fruits I have on hand (or in the freezer) and have at it. The basic components of my favorite type of smoothie consists of fruit (any type, frozen or fresh), milk or yogurt of some sort (this could be soy, almond, cow, etc.... whatever you like, they all work; you could even add juice, but I like the creaminess you get from a little milk or yogurt), some type of healthy kick (in this case it was flax, sometimes I'll add some nuts or wheat germ...just a little something to give it that "super-food" value), and finally a bit of water or/and ice depending on whether or not you use frozen fruit (if you use frozen fruit you may not need any ice).

Smoothies are a fun way to play and experiment in the kitchen. If you find yourself being a little hesitant when it comes to exploring in the kitchen, smoothies are a great place to let your hair down and get a little crazy.

A recipe will only take you so far... so don't hesitate to steer off track a little and add your own twists and turns. A good general rule to follow in the kitchen is this; "If you think it will taste good, it probably will", so trust your instincts and get smoothie crazy!!

I'd love to hear some of your favorite smoothie creations... so tell me, what's your favorite smoothie?

Fruit and Flax Smoothie

Ingredients

1 banana
1 cup soy, rice, or skim milk
1/4 cup water
1 cup frozen berries
1 cup frozen pineapple
2 tbsp ground flax seeds

Directions

Mix in blender until blended and serve!

Note: You can add other ingredients for added nutrition such as a spoon full of bee pollen, coconut oil, flax seed oil, or a scoop of protein powder.

Nutritional Analysis

Calories: 216; Total Fat: 4.8g; Saturated Fat: 0.3g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 17mg; Carbohydrate: 37.8g; Dietary Fiber: 8.6g; Sugars: 21.2g; Protein: 7.2g

Other Recipes You May Enjoy:
Strawberry-Mango Milkshake (video)
Frozen Banana & Cacao Topped Yogurt
Quick Quinoa Breakfast
Banana Boat
Chocolate Covered Strawberries (video)


Comments

Amy :

I like to blend together a frozen banana, some sort of milk (usually soy or almond), and a little cocoa powder. Its a totally decadent but surprisingly healthy treat!

posted on June 17, 2008 9:03 PM

Dani :

Amy - That sounds D'lishes!! I am definitely gonna give it a try... thanks for sharing:).

posted on June 17, 2008 9:22 PM

Kari Brunson :

I would love to make a smoothie, but I dont have a blender. Would a food processor work?:) I love putting flax seeds, milk, and fruit in my oatmeal!

posted on June 17, 2008 9:58 PM

MizFit :

My toddler is pointing and shrieking: nummy! nummy!

I guess we are making smoothies this morning.

Who knew?

M.

posted on June 18, 2008 3:33 AM

Dani :

KAri - Hmmm, never tried making a smoothie in a food processor, but I bet it could work! I'd say it's worth a shot;).

Mizfit - Toddlers know best:).

posted on June 18, 2008 6:31 AM

Jaya :

I have to agree that frozen bananas are amazing for smoothies! If you're in the mood for a treat (a healthy one, too), try blending a frozen banana with some coconut milk (and just a trace of agave nectar for a real treat) and garnish with some shredded coconut.

Another fantastic smoothie is cottage cheese blended with some fresh strawberries (or any berries) and mint leaves. This is fantastic around hot summer workouts!

posted on June 18, 2008 7:21 AM

Dani :

Jaya - OMG... I love coconut milk!! The banana and coconut milk smoothie sounds amazing!! And the cottage cheese/berry combo with mint sounds great too! Man, I've got lots of smoothies to make:).

posted on June 18, 2008 8:42 AM

Ashley :

I loooove smoothies! Especially after hot morning runs when the idea of eating any kind of “real” food is a total turn off. The pineapple sounds so yummy in this one! I’m a big fan of frozen peaches with some kind of flavored soy yogurt and a bit of unsweetened cranberry juice.

posted on June 18, 2008 9:24 AM

Sue (coffeepot) :

Looks really good. My favorite smoothie has to be peaches and buttermilk with a small amount of sugar (or Splenda) and vanilla added.

posted on June 18, 2008 11:21 AM

Dani :

Ashley - Thanks for sharing your smoothie ideas... I've never tried adding cranberry juice! There sure are a lot of different ways to make a smoothie!

Sue - Buttermilk?? I've never tried that either in a smoothie. Peaches and buttermilk sound like a yummy combination!

posted on June 18, 2008 12:00 PM

Meeta :

I love smoothies - I had a great one with my lunch today - banana and mango. Dani, I'm new here and love your healthy but fun style of food. Great place!

posted on June 18, 2008 12:54 PM

Dani :

Hi Meeta! Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words:). Banana and mango make a great combination... like I said earlier, I seriously have a lot of smoothie taste testing to do! You guys have great suggestions!

posted on June 18, 2008 1:37 PM

Kaman :

I actually make mine in a food processor and it works better than my blender! lol

I love just tossing whatever i have on hand and it always comes out surprisingly sweet with no added sweetener. A popular one of mine consists of frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, a banana, some soy milk, and frozen peaches. It's so delicious. Once I froze it and ate it like a sorbet. :)

I found that after drinking a cup of this, I'm always instantly full of energy. It's so good before a workout! (and after!)

posted on June 18, 2008 5:24 PM

Dani :

Kaman - Good to know. So all of you readers who don't have a blender...have no fear, you can make a smoothie in your food processor!! And I agree Kaman, smoothies give you lots of good workout energy!

posted on June 18, 2008 8:24 PM

MizFit :

made it and threw in FLAX and CHIA.
it was great!

posted on June 19, 2008 2:46 AM

Mike :

Even though flax is my mainstay for omega-3's, I've starting mix in some walnut for a little changeup in flavor. .

posted on June 19, 2008 6:12 AM

Mark Salinas :

It tastes very good! Thanks!

posted on June 19, 2008 7:10 AM

Dani :

Mike - I'm sure the walnuts taste great too:)!

Mark - Glad you liked it:)!!

posted on June 19, 2008 7:29 AM

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